diff --git a/backend/src/app/http/middleware.clj b/backend/src/app/http/middleware.clj
index 48f7c36149..feb07afb50 100644
--- a/backend/src/app/http/middleware.clj
+++ b/backend/src/app/http/middleware.clj
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@
     (fn [request]
       (if-let [[key-id key] (some-> (yreq/get-header request "x-shared-key")
                                     (str/split #"\s+" 2))]
-        (let [key-id (str/lower key-id)]
+        (let [key-id (-> key-id str/lower keyword)]
           (if (and (string? key)
                    (contains? keys key-id)
                    (= key (get keys key-id)))
diff --git a/backend/test/backend_tests/http_middleware_test.clj b/backend/test/backend_tests/http_middleware_test.clj
index 2c313fef07..b4fa5062d5 100644
--- a/backend/test/backend_tests/http_middleware_test.clj
+++ b/backend/test/backend_tests/http_middleware_test.clj
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 (t/deftest shared-key-auth
   (let [handler (#'app.http.middleware/wrap-shared-key-auth
                  (fn [req] {::yres/status 200})
-                 {"test1" "secret-key"})]
+                 {:test1 "secret-key"})]
 
     (let [response (handler (->DummyRequest {} {}))]
       (t/is (= 403 (::yres/status response))))